1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved feed mechanism of a smoke generating device, and in particular to a feed mechanism having an adjustable auger that allows smoke generating materials of selected size to fall from a deposit tube in an improved manner.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is desirable to smoke many foods and food products. While it is desirable to hold temperatures low and constant temperature (example 100-140 degrees F.), some processes such as cold smoking require a very low constant temperature of below 105 degrees F. It is very important to eliminate spikes in temperature when cold smoking. It is known that the smoke generating materials contribute a significant amount of heat to the process. While venting and the like may help control temperature, it is even more desirable to eliminate heat spikes altogether.
Many machines and devices have been developed to generate smoke in a cooking environment. Some examples include:
U.S. Pat. No. 7,900,553 to Maurin is titled Apparatus for Cooking Using Wood Pellets. This patent shows an apparatus for cooking using wood pellets comprising: a direct cooking zone; an indirect cooking zone separated from the direct cooking zone by a divider; and a wood pellet burner positioned in the direct cooking zone such that food items in the direct cooking zone will be positioned above the burner. The cooking apparatus has a combustion flow path such that combustion gas from the burner will flow upwardly in the direct cooking zone, then over the divider, and then downwardly into the indirect cooking zone. The downward flow of combustion gas into the indirect cooking zone provides a top down cooking mode for food products placed therein.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,763,932 to Stenson et al. is titled Particulate Material Handling Systems. It shows a system comprises a tube, an endless belt that passes through the tube and returns outside of the tube, and a flighting that is suspended a predetermined distance from the belt through the entire length of the tube. The distance may be varied for the various materials being handled. An intake hopper is mounted at one end of the tube for receiving the material to be moved and a discharge spout is mounted at the other end of the tube for discharging the material from the tube. The endless belt and flighting are driven such that their speed may be varied and such that their relative speeds are synchronized to drive the material at substantially the same speed whether it is being carried by the belt or the flighting. The combination of the belt and the flighting drives the material through the tube, minimizing damage to the material, which may be granular fertilizer, pulse crops, grains or other particulate material.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,533,105 to Dutschke is titled Grain Augers and the Like. The invention relates to a material conveying assembly of the kind comprising an outer tubular casing and a rotary feed screw mounted within the casing on a tubular drive shaft, wherein the intake end of the auger is provided with a replacement intake auger sub-assembly comprising flexible helical flighting freely rotatably mounted on a drive shaft extension which is connected to the main drive shaft and a clutch device which drivingly connects the intake flighting shaft portion to the drive shaft extension. The clutch device is arranged so that it will automatically disengage drive to the shaft portion in the event of an overload occurring. A soft pliable extension sleeve is co-axially fitted over the open leading end of the outer casing and is arranged to encircle a portion of the intake flighting. The extension sleeve being easily deformable, in combination with the resilient flexible flighting significantly reduces the likelihood of any injury being suffered by an operator in the event of one of his or her limbs being caught in the intake flighting.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,223,737 to Buckner is titled Pellet Fuel Burning Device. It shows a pellet fuel burner, such as a cooking grill, has a fire box with a generally open top plane. A pellet burner unit is disposed in the fire box below the cooking surface. A pellet feeding device opens into the fire box and is disposed so as to feed pellets into the burner unit. A pressure box has an inlet supplied with combustion air at a positive pressure. A plurality of outlets are provided in the pressure box and disposed so as to create a turbulent combustion air flow in the pellet burner unit. The outlets may include a first outlet disposed above the burner unit and a second outlet disposed below the burner unit. The turbulent combustion air flow and supply of pellets, particularly corn kernels from the pellet feeding device allow for a continuous sustained combustion of the fuel in the pellet burner.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,823,684 to Traeger et al. is titled Pellet-Fired Barbecue. It shows a pellet-fired barbecue including an elevated barbecue pan fired by a pellet-burning pot mounted below the bottom of the barbecue. A heat baffle plate is disposed within the pan above the top of the pot, and forced-air mechanism produces movement of hearted air within the barbecue.
U.S. Pat. No. 652,531 to Carlson is titled Smoke Device for Curing Meats. This patent shows a conveyor to advance saw dust through a fuel tube.
While each of these may work well for their intended purposes, they each can nevertheless be improved upon.
For example, it is desired to have a feed that has a spring (or flights) that terminate a selected distance in advance of an opening wherein the material could even out before falling through the opening.
Further, it is desired to have a feed that is adjustable to accommodate smoking materials of different sizes, for example saw dust and wood chips.
Still further, it is desired to generate sufficient smoke without heat spikes that can occur when smoke generating materials are added in an ineffective manner, such as in an unpredictable manner or with insufficient air within the burn chamber.
Thus there exists a need for an improved feed mechanism of a smoke generating device that solves these and other problems.